We have launched a new crowdfunder to protect Newcastle-upon-Tyne’s only urban colony of Sand Martins; a captivating summer migrant which we have, incredibly, welcomed to Lower Ouseburn to nest for the past two years.
The crowdfunder is match-funded through the Aviva Community Fund, so every single donation (up to £250) is doubled!
We have until 12th December 2024 to reach our target of £6000, which will enable us to install an Artificial Sand Martin Bank at the mouth of the Ouse Burn. You can support the project by kindly sharing the crowdfunder with your friends and family, or there are various ways to donate (including a few ‘rewards’ such a Sponsor a Sand Martin Hole!). Every single donation, and every share, brings us one step closer to achieving the target together!
THE ARRIVAL OF NEWCASTLE’S URBAN SAND MARTINS
In spring 2023 a small Sand Martin colony (Riparia riparia) unexpectedly arrived to establish nests in a post-industrial sandstone wall, where the River Tyne joins the Ouse Burn in central Newcastle.
This was the first documented breeding attempt of Sand Martin in Newcastle City Centre.
In 2024, the Sand Martins returned and successfully reared chicks in crevices within the wall, bringing delight to visitors and residents along the Quayside and Ouseburn who watched their captivating flights and tender family moments from the footpath.
During the 2024 breeding season, members of the public and local residents joined together to help undertake a nest survey. Nine active nests were identified, many with chicks poking their faces out from their River Tyne-facing nurseries!
Image: Sand Martin chick waiting in sandstone wall for parents to return with food.
THE PROJECT: SAFEGUARDING THEIR FUTURE
As part of the Wild Ouseburn project, we are looking to safeguard the future of our urban Sand Martins, and enable it to expand. This can be achieved through the provision of artificial nesting opportunities in the Lower Ouseburn Valley, which will provide much-needed, designated nesting habitat for Sand Martins. Additionally, this project will give local residents, businesses and visitors to the area direct access to nature, and a captivating welcome to Ouseburn and the Newcastle Quayside.
The project is voluntarily managed by Wild Intrigue CIC, with permissions already gained by the landowner for the installation of a new artificial Sand Martin bank at the mouth of the Ouse Burn.
To help safeguard this colony’s future, we need to raise £6000 through the crowdfunder to purchase:
Artificial Sand Martin Bank by Green Future Building Ltd
Including delivery and installation.
Featuring 48 nesting chambers and a green roof.
A solar powered Sand Martin call system to attract prospecting birds.
Locked, rear access to enable licensed ringing and monitoring by Northumbrian Ringing Group, along with winter cleaning and maintenance.
Signage
Offering inclusive, accessible education and insights on Sand Martins, their urban ecology and the function of the artificial bank.
In Kind support
Wild Intrigue CIC will host free, accessible community Sand Martin events, surveys and outreach on a voluntary basis throughout (at least) 2025, and will continue to maintain the nest bank into the future. This is also a voluntarily managed project, so every penny will go toward the practical installation of the Sand Martin Bank and signage.
mage: Local residents gathered to survey the Sand Martins as part of the Wild Ouseburn project, summer 2024.
SAND MARTIN ECOLOGY
The Sand Martin (Riparia riparia), a long-distance migratory bird, travels over 4,000 km from its wintering grounds in sub-Saharan Africa to breed in the UK during the summer months (BTO).
These agile birds are among the first summer migrants to return to the UK each year, arriving as early as March, and among the first to depart in September. Sand Martins are closely associated with riparian habitats, requiring vertical banks of sand to create their nest burrows, and a diverse range of aquatic insects to feed on. Traditionally, these birds have nested along riverbanks and sea cliffs, but they have also adapted to breed in other sandy areas, such as construction sites, quarries, and even man-made structures like drainage pipes.
However, due to the channelisation and modern engineering of waterways, natural nesting opportunities for Sand Martins have become increasingly limited. To address this, artificial Sand Banks have been successfully implemented on nature reserves and in urban locations, providing suitable nesting sites for this species.
Image: Sand Martins in flight around sandstone wall
THE BIGGER PICTURE
By protecting and growing the Ouseburn Sand Martin colony, local residents and visitors to central Newcastle have a new opportunity to immerse themselves in a natural wonder. A migrant species, the Sand Martin also represents the interconnectedness of the natural environment locally and globally, and the fragility of living systems in the current changing climate.
We anticipate wider discussions around these topics to follow from engagement in the Sand Martins, benefitting the wider ecosystem upon which the colony depends, and the role local individuals have within this.
VISIT THE CROWDFUNDER PAGE to see the project’s progress, to share with friends, or to donate. Thank you!